Ignition-tube heater.



III II I I o oo'ooo E. C. KINCADE.

I IGNITION TUBE HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-4. 1915.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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IGNITION-TUBE HEATER.

f Specification of Letters Patent. Patented fine; 1Q 1915 Application filed January 4, 1915. Serial No. 411.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ELMER C. Krxo mn, of Beaumont, in the county of Jefferson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition-Tube Heaters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means for preventing fire or explosion by gas or oil surrounding the heater of the ignition-tube of a gas engine;

I-Ieretofore various means have been provided seeking to prevent damage by the explosion of gas or oil entering a gas-engine inclosure, but so far as I am aware it has not heretofore been possible to completely guard against conflagrations due to back fire.

According to my invention if leaking oil or gas should reach the flame of the igni tion-tube heater the products of combustion resulting therefrom will be utilized to prevent the flame from reaching the outside of the heater and at the same time will cut off the supply of fresh air and thus extinguish the heater flame.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a view in perspective. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on a slightly enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the breathers or air-inlets.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the ignition tube which is coupled to the engine cylinder 2,1 portion only of which is shown in Fig. 2. This ignition tube is surrounded by a heater 3 which is shown in the form of a tube provided with a lining 4. of asbestos or other suitable material to prevent over heating. To the upper end of the heater is secured a perforated tube 5 through which the products of combustion are discharged.

Into a lateral extension of the lower end of the heater opens a comparatively long mixer, which I have shown in the form of an elongated cylindrical tube 6,1nto which gas is introduced at one end, the supply be:

ing controlled by a valve 7 indicated in Fig. 1. Into this mixer opens a series of radially-arranged air inlet members which are commonly denominated breathers, each of which comprises a tube 8 and a head 9 on the outer end o-f the tube, such head being opento the atmosphere at its outer end andcontaining two or more parallel sheets 10 of wire gauze. The number of breathers may be changed at pleasure,butsuflicient should be used toinsure anainple'supply of air to obtain the necessary mixture of air and gas in the mixing tube'6, but under all conditions the cubical content of the mixer should exceed the air-supplying capacity of the breathers. Additional breathers 12 also open into the inner end of the mixing tube 6, to augment the air supply through breathers 9. Likewise additional breathers 13 open into the heater around its lower end and within the plane of the mixing tube 6. The gas may be ignited through an opening in the heater controlled by a screw plug 14.

In practice, ignition occurs in the lower end of the heater 3, in line with the mixing tube, and the flame will rise in the heater around the ignition tube and extend to about the upper end of the asbestos lining. The perforated outlet tube 5 is sufliciently far removed from the point of ignition to preclude any possibility of the flame passing outwardly through such tube and igniting any leaking gas or oil.

In the event of any gas or oil leaking into the engine inclosure, resulting in an inflammable mixture being taken in through the breathers,theignitionthereof will occur at the lower end of the heater and within the mixer, andbecause of the large cubical content of the latter the flame is prevented from striking back through the breathers, and the latter and their tubes being filled with the burnt gases further entrance of inflammable mixture is prevented for that the burnt gas forms a blanket or noncombustible strata between the combustible gas on the outside and the flame within the heater. In consequence, the ignition of gases on the outside of the furnace is prevented, and before there is any possibility of the barrier of burnt gases escaping the heating flame is extinguished for the want ofthe necessary air supply.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an explosive engine and an ignition tube therefor, of a heater inclosing such tube, an air and gas. mixer opening into such heater at the point of ignition, and a series of air inlets or breathers opening into such mixer, the cubical content of the latter being greater than the air supply capacity of the air inlets.

lets or breathers connected to said tubular body and each open at its outer end and having screens mounted therein, the cubical content of said mixer being in excess of the air supply capacity of the air inlets.

3. The combination With an explosive engine, and an ignition tube therefor, of a heater inclosing such tube, a series of air Copies of this patent may be obtained for inlet devices or breathers opening into the lower end of said heater, an air or gas mixer also opening into said heater, and a series of air inlet devices or breathers opening into said mixer, each air inlet device or breather comprising a radially extended tube open at its outer end to the atmosphere and a series of section of Wire gauze Within each of said ends. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ELMER O. KINCADE. Witnesses:

W. H. CnDnR oF, J. A. DUTTON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

